This November 27, 2016 article by Dr. Bonnie Kaplan and Dr. Julia Rucklidge, “Have You Ever Wondered Why Labels on Supplements are So Vague?”, published by Mad In America shines light on the worldwide trend by governments and Big Pharma to intentionally suppress information making it harder for consumers to make educated decisions on how they wish to treat their health conditions.

Although this article focuses on the changes to regulations being implemented in New Zealand, the similarities to the proposed changes to regulations by Health Canada couldn’t be more evident. Around the world, governments and pharmaceutical companies are using a number of strategies including information suppression, fear mongering and even the removal of Natural Health Products (NHPs) as a way to deceive the public, create confusion and a perception that NHPs are unsafe and ineffective.

“It isn’t the manufacturers who are vague, it is the regulation of medicines that prevents clear labelling that reflects scientific evidence because only medicines can claim a therapeutic benefit and some conditions aren’t allowed to have health claims associated with them”, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Rucklidge state. In Canada, the phrase “a source of antioxidants for the maintenance of good health” is often the only health claim that can be made on NHPs due to the current regulations and may very well be the only claim permitted under the proposed new regulations. “At what point did our society essentially hand over the rights to make a therapeutic claim to the drug companies and limit access to using products that impact positively on health? Here is an opportunity to set the record straight and acknowledge through legislation that there are verifiable health and therapeutic benefits from taking nutrients without having to regulate them like medicines. If the data substantiate it, then allow the claim to be made, not only in New Zealand, but across the world.”

ABC
The Guardian’s [UK] March 15, 2017 article, “Calls for ibuprofen sale restrictions after study finds cardiac arrest risk”, by Matthew Weaver draws attention to a recent study from Denmark which revealed a 31% increased risk of cardiac arrest from the use of ibuprofen and an even greater risk from the use of other over-the-counter NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) such as Diclofenac.

Advil and other NSAIDs claim to safely and effectively alleviate pain and reduce fever. They also come with a lengthy product monograph warning of the many risks involved with taking the products. In fact, in April of 2015, Health Canada released a Safety Alert warning consumers of the risk of heart attack and stroke at dosages over 1200mg per day drawing further attention to the inherent risks of using ibuprofen.

In contrast, statistics show that that Natural Health Product (NHP) pain relievers have an impeccable safety record. Health Canada continues with their war-like approach to regulating NHPs, treating them as potentially life threatening substances which should be regulated in the same way as drugs. At the same time, it conveniently ignores the repeated annual deaths caused by over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

“The current message being sent to the public about NSAIDs is wrong. If you can buy these drugs in a convenience store then you probably think: ‘They must be safe for me.’ “, Prof Gunnar Gislason of the University of Copenhagen states. The article goes on to state that, “The study, published in the British Medical Journal, used data for almost 10 million NSAIDs users from the UK, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany, who started treatment between 2000 and 2010. Overall, 92,163 hospital admissions for heart failure were identified among the group.”

The trial of the five people charged in relation to the raid on Glencolton Farms on October 2, 2015, continues Monday March 13, Tuesday March 14 and Friday March 20 of this week and into next week on Monday March 20 at the Walkerton [Ontario] Courthouse, 207 Cayley Street. So far the court has only heard from the first witness of the crown, Glenn Jarvie. Michael Schmidt is still cross examining him and will continue to do so for a good part of Monday. There are several more crown witnesses to testify and be cross examined. Then the defense will bring in their witnesses and the crown will have a chance to cross examine them as well. Supporters of food freedom, or anyone interested in the case, are welcome to come to Walkerton to observe the trial in progress.

This is an informative and eye-opening article from the March 2017 issue of Vitality Magazine, “How to Survive Western Medicine”, by Dr. Zoltan Rona in which he discusses nutrient depletion brought on by commonly prescribed pharmaceutical medications. If you visit your family doctor for any particular health concern, chances are you will leave his or her office with a prescription designed to treat the symptoms and either a recommendation for a follow up visit or instructions to “come back and see me if symptoms do not improve”. What you won’t be given is detailed information on side effects of your prescription or the nutrients that your medication may rob from your body. From acne creams to thyroid hormones, nutrient depletion occurs with just about every pharmaceutical prescription and this can have devastating health consequences, especially for those who are taking medications for an indefinite or long-term period of time.

“Most doctors who prescribe medication fail to warn their patients of the potential for nutrient depletion, and neglect to recommend taking the specific nutrients that the drugs are stealing from the body”, as Dr. Rona points out. Dr. Rona also states that “conventional doctors are quick to warn their patients against using nutritional supplements that could interfere with their prescriptions”.

As stated by Dr. Rona at the beginning of the article, the use of prescribed drugs can be life-saving or highly beneficial on a short-term basis but problems can arise when prescriptions are used on a long-term basis. Nutritional supplementation through Natural Health Products becomes an important step in the prevention of drug-induced illnesses. Future changes to how Natural Health Products are regulated will reduce the consumer access to the products that can help replace the nutrient depletion caused by prescription medications.

Ontario Action Alert! Show your support in solidarity for Glencolton Farms families in their Food Freedom fight. They need as many as possible to attend the courthouse in Walkerton starting on Thursday, March 9 & 10, 2017 at 9:30 am (it has been delayed from the original start date of March 6). Four men are facing charges of obstruction for their actions during a raid on their property October 2, 2015. As is the case in all of Glencolton’s cases, it will be nothing but dramatic. A show of public interest at the courthouse makes a difference.

Michael Schmidt and four others were charged weeks after the raid (one man’s charges were dropped) by the West Grey Police for their actions during the raid which involved multiple government agencies, including the Ministry of Natural Resources (Agricultural Investigation Unit), Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

All done in the interest of protecting their property and the right to consume food of their choice, produced on their own property, these are criminal charges that could result in fines and jail time.

More information about the raw milk farm Co-op owners who stopped authorities, the charges and the trial can be found here.

Our Farms, Our Foods Coop is a 200 member cooperative formed for the purpose of boarding personal cows with a responsible dairyman. The group is just one of the many interested stakeholders in changing Canadian policy on raw milk.

Mission Statement

The Natural Health Products Protection Association is federally incorporated as a non-profit company with the sole object of: Protecting access to Natural Health Products and Dietary Supplements.
By limiting its purpose to protecting access to Natural Health Products and Dietary Supplements, the NHPPA will focus on identifying and responding to threats facing the Natural Health Product and Dietary Supplement industry.